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Getting began with bank card rewards will be extremely overwhelming. Do you have to begin with money again or factors and miles? Which card household do you have to select first? Or, do you have to strive playing cards from completely different households? Will the annual price on playing cards be price it?
When learners ask for assist constructing a card portfolio, we all the time suggest taking a look at card packages that may scale — that means playing cards that may be paired with others later to construct a complete card technique with out sacrificing the previous card to the sock drawer.
You’ll discover that transferable factors are extremely worthwhile for avid and aspiring vacationers as a result of rewards will be redeemed throughout all kinds of airline and resort companions. However these journey bank cards usually have stricter approval necessities, so that they aren’t all the time an possibility as a first rewards bank card. The excellent news is that some issuers supply sure households of bank cards that let you begin with a no-annual-fee bank card that may pair with a higher-tier card in a while for optimum worth.
The straightforwardness of Chase Final Rewards — together with Chase’s 5/24 rule — make this program a very good place to start out for factors and miles newbies. And when selecting bank cards to earn Final Rewards, the Chase Freedom Limitless® and the Chase Sapphire Most popular® Card make a robust duo.
Learn on to find out how these two playing cards can jumpstart your award journey.
Associated: How a lot are Chase Final Rewards factors price?
Why pair Chase Sapphire Most popular with Chase Freedom Limitless?
We’ll break down the total advantages of every card under, however right here’s a fast rationalization of why you’ll wish to begin with these two particularly. The highest cause is that Chase limits the variety of bank cards for which you’ll efficiently apply. That is as a result of issuer’s 5/24 rule.
In brief, should you’ve opened 5 or extra private playing cards throughout all banks up to now 24 months, it’s unlikely you’ll be accredited for many playing cards in Chase’s portfolio, together with the Freedom Limitless and the Sapphire Most popular.
If you happen to’re beginning out, it’s finest to cowl an important bases first. If you have already got a stable credit score rating, you’ll doubtless wish to apply for the Chase Sapphire Most popular first as a result of it earns these worthwhile transferable factors. However in case you are newer to the world of rewards bank cards, the Chase Freedom Limitless can also be an awesome place to begin to earn money again.
The very best half? The Freedom award factors can later be transferred to the Sapphire Most popular if you apply for it down the road.
Associated: What credit score rating do you want for the Chase Sapphire Most popular Card?
Chase Sapphire Most popular highlights
Welcome bonus for the Chase Sapphire Most popular: Earn 60,000 Final Rewards factors after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.
Incomes charges: Earn 5 factors per greenback spent on journey booked by way of Chase Journey℠, 3 factors per greenback spent on eating (together with eligible supply providers and takeout) in addition to choose streaming providers and on-line groceries (excludes Goal, Walmart and wholesale golf equipment), 2 factors per greenback spent on all different journey and 1 level per greenback spent in all places else.
Perks: The Sapphire Most popular comes with no international transaction charges, and cardholders can get pleasure from perks like a 10% factors bonus on their cardmember anniversary and a $50 annual resort credit score for reservations made by way of Chase Journey. The cardboard additionally contains quite a few journey protections like main auto rental insurance coverage, baggage delay insurance coverage, journey delay reimbursement, journey cancellation and interruption insurance coverage, prolonged guarantee safety and buy safety.
Annual price: $95
Causes to get it: TPG’s December 2024 valuations place this welcome bonus at $1,230, primarily based on maximizing the factors with resort and airline switch companions.
The beauty of this card is that all kinds of things fall inside the journey class — from airline purchases, taxis and tolls to parking tons and journey businesses. So, even when your day-to-day journey is proscribed to transportation, you’ll be able to rack up Final Rewards factors rapidly. You’ll additionally get glorious journey protections on these purchases.
As for utilizing these factors, you’ve a number of journey companions to select from. You can even redeem Final Rewards factors immediately for a number of eligible purchases by way of the Chase Journey portal at a price of 1.25 cents apiece.
Associated: After 15 years, why the Chase Sapphire Most popular ought to nonetheless be your first rewards card
Chase Freedom Limitless highlights
Welcome bonus for the Chase Freedom Limitless: Earn an extra 1.5% money again on every thing you purchase (on as much as $20,000 spent within the first 12 months) — price as much as $300 in money again.
Incomes charges: Earn 5% money again on journey bought by way of Chase Journey, 3% money again on eating, 3% money again at drugstores, and 1.5% money again on all different purchases.
Annual price: $0
Causes to get it: This card presents arguably higher on a regular basis incomes classes than the Sapphire Most popular. What actually makes the Freedom Limitless worthy of a slot in your pockets is that you probably have a full-fledged Chase Final Rewards-earning card (such because the Chase Sapphire Most popular, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or the Ink Enterprise Most popular® Credit score Card), you’ll be able to redeem your money again as Final Rewards factors.
And even should you don’t have a kind of playing cards proper now, you’ll be able to all the time apply for one later and then mix your factors into the Final Rewards account of the extra premium card.
TPG’s December 2024 valuations peg the worth of Chase Final Rewards factors at 2.05 cents every. Meaning the 1.5% money again you’ll earn on nonbonus purchases turns into 1.5 factors per greenback spent (for a return of over 3%).
If money again is in the end what you’re after, think about a few of the different finest cash-back bank cards, such because the Citi Double Money® Card (see charges and costs) that offers you a greater return on on a regular basis purchases. With the Citi Double Money Card, you’ll get 2% money again (1% if you purchase and one other 1% as you pay down your stability). You can even convert the money again earned on the Citi card to Citi ThankYou Rewards factors by way of a linked ThankYou account.
Associated: Why the Chase Freedom Limitless must be the primary card in each scholar’s pockets
Utilizing the playing cards collectively
As talked about above, the rewards earned by the Freedom Limitless (and its sibling, the no-annual-fee Chase Freedom Flex®) grow to be far more worthwhile if you additionally maintain a higher-end Chase card. It’s because you’ll be able to solely convert your money again into transferable factors with a card that earns Final Rewards factors outright.
So, to redeem rewards earned with the Freedom playing cards as factors that may be transferred to companions, you want to maintain a higher-tier card just like the Chase Sapphire Most popular. Another choice is the premium Chase Sapphire Reserve for individuals who suppose the $550 annual price is well worth the card’s higher earnings, further advantages and $300 annual journey credit score.
The Ink Enterprise Most popular Credit score Card may be an awesome various — or addition — for small-business house owners.
Even should you don’t plan on transferring factors to journey companions corresponding to United Airways, Hyatt, Southwest Airways and British Airways, these playing cards assure 25% to 50% in further worth when redeeming factors by way of the Chase Journey portal for journey at a set worth. In different phrases, fairly than redeem every level for 1 cent every with only a Freedom card, you’ll have the ability to redeem them at a price of 1.25 or 1.5 cents apiece by additionally having the Sapphire Most popular or Sapphire Reserve, respectively.
If you happen to merely need money again and by no means plan on pairing your playing cards, it’s best to try different cash-back bank cards with increased returns. However these trying to construct a long-term card technique can make the most of the Chase Freedom Limitless pairing capabilities with a card that unlocks Final Rewards redemptions.
Utilizing these two playing cards strategically places you in a very good place to earn and redeem journey rewards for optimum worth.
For starters, all journey purchases not made by way of the Chase Journey portal (like Uber rides and Airbnb stays) ought to go on the Chase Sapphire Most popular to earn bonus factors and get glorious journey protections. You must also use the Sapphire Most popular for eating, choose streaming providers and on-line grocery purchases to earn 3 factors per greenback spent. And, for the reason that card waives international transaction charges, you’ll wish to use it for all purchases outdoors the U.S.
Then, you’ll use the Freedom Limitless for drugstores and all different on a regular basis purchases.
When it’s time to redeem your hard-earned factors, see this information to getting the utmost worth out of your awards and this information for locating candy spots within the Final Rewards program.
Associated: Chase Sapphire Most popular vs. Sapphire Reserve: Do you have to go mid-tier or premium?
Backside line
The Chase Freedom Limitless and the Chase Sapphire Most popular Card make an awesome Final Rewards points-earning crew. Whereas the latter isn’t all the time the best choice in your spending, it opens up some nice switch accomplice choices on the redemption aspect. Plus, with its present 60,000-point welcome bonus, the Sapphire Most popular can enhance your Final Rewards factors stability — excellent for these simply beginning on this planet of rewards journey.
If you happen to’re beginning to earn journey rewards with bank cards, these two playing cards must be your prime precedence in relation to purposes — however be sure you take note of the issuer’s 5/24 rule to optimize your probabilities for approval.
For added info, try our Chase Freedom Limitless evaluate and Chase Sapphire Most popular evaluate.
Apply right here: Chase Freedom Limitless
Apply right here: Chase Sapphire Most popular
